Dawn Venture Angling Charters - Portpatrick-SW Scotland

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Dawn Venture Angling Charters - Portpatrick-SW Scotland

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Dawn Venture is an Ocean Ranger Aquastar 38ft long, powered by 2 x Cummings 315hp turbo engines,fully coded commercially fishing for over 35 species of fish,sharks and huge common skate in the North Channel and Irish sea

14/08/2024

A trip out today that was blessed with hot sunshine and light winds til until mid afternoon when we gained a 1.5m swell with white tops.... Thankfully, no rain though!
The mackerel (or most of them!) had gone on a midweek away day and took the pollack with them!! Annette managed the only tope of the day(20lb) within 10 mins of the anchor going down... We also had 2 decent huss (12 & 14lb) 8 other species and the first dab of the year for Willie Shaw taking the boat species tally to 26 for the year so far...
6 SPACES have become available on 21st august

13/08/2024

So with poor weather with us again and cancellations mounting up... We have managed 4 days at sea in total (made up of 3 days and 2 half days).... I though I should put up a report and pictures.
Saturday 10th saw over 30 huss landed with the best at 13.5lb and plenty of pollack upto 4lb and the arrival of the mini mackerel.
Sunday 11th saw plenty of mackerel, a lot of inshore pollack upto 4lb and 2 tope(27 & 33lb) from an inshore reef.... It is noticeable that the offshore banks are quiet with more tope and huss on the reefs in about 45-65ft of water but very few mackerel inshore.
Monday 12th saw the daytime trip cancelled due to rough seas but the evening trip to target pollack produced around 20 pollack with the best at 7lb and a bumper catch of ballan wrasse taking 8 in total... Best 3.5lb,smallest 1.5lb and all pollack and wrasse last night were caught using various jelly lures

12/08/2024

6 Spaces available for Wednesday 21st August due to a cancellation.... Please phone or text to book(tel 07739231331)
Cheers Dominic

04/08/2024

2 spaces available.. 14th aug
6 spaces available... 15th aug
2 spaces available... 17th august
3 spaces available.. 21st august
10 spaces available... 23rd august

Please contact me to book
Cheers Dominic

03/08/2024

Thomas organised the boys for a trip out, making best use of the weather window... Around 20 huss upto 11lb,1 tope at 21lb,a cuckoo wrasse, plenty of mackerel and a species count of 8

02/08/2024

Too rough to sail today... Here's the photos from yesterday and the day previous... Wednesday saw 40 spurs landed to 20lb and one tope at 25lb with plenty of mackerel on the flood tide but none on the ebb! Pollack to 4lb were eager to feed in the evening. Yesterday saw only 1 tope weighed at 42lb..plus conger, huss, codling, lsd(all small) and about 60 pollack to 4lb from under the cliffs... Mackerel were plentiful on the flood again

30/07/2024

A successful day today for Kieran and the boys... Apart from a short while drifting, whole day was spent anchored on a bank(95ft) and a deep rough reef(170ft)...mackerel were more plentiful and preferred sabiki.... Tope (31 & 33lb), common skate (178lb), huss (15lb) and 35+ spurs with majority in the 12-16lb bracket and the 2 best at 19lb and 21lb

28/07/2024

Finally some fish worth photographing for Stewart and the boys... Anchored up in 170ft of water, we landed 2 tope(27 & 15lb) and spurs upto 17lb..inshore anchored up was poor with doggies and 1 small huss but the pollack were plentiful and hungry with the bsst at 6lb8oz...mackerel continue to be scarce

23/07/2024

The tope are scarce out from Portpatrick at the moment, whereas the common skate are not! Currently looking at running 2 "skate days" on the Tiny tides of 27th & 28th August... We have currently landed 12 skate from 117 - 199lb with 8 others lost... Max 5 anglers, 8hr day £440 for the boat Inc tackle... Please contact me to book

19/07/2024

So, with too many weather based cancellations (year on year), and with the help of Kenny Graham(Oberon) & Andrew Nisbet (Cullivoe marina manager), the decision has been made to move "Dawn Venture" to Cullivoe on the Island of Yell (Shetland Isles) and commence fishing trips from April 2025. Fishing will take place all round the island of Unst and Muckle Flugga lighthouse Targeting large cod/ling/coalies and haddock in deep water but for those who prefer something different, lightline pollack fishing under the cliffs will also be available as will plaice fishing in the sheltered sandy bays.
The shetlands are the UKs' most northerly archipelago of islands and most definitely a "bucket list" tick-off. The fishing, the scenery, the wildlife... Its a whole package not to be missed.
Please ring for prices and accomodation arrangements... Rod and reel hire available with end tackle for sale.
Photographs are taken from skippering the Oberon and from my travels around the islands

18/07/2024

Photograph just received.... A fine weighty specimen landed using a sidewinder eel around Money Head!!!

17/07/2024

So David and John wanted tope today on day 3/3 and though we had plenty of fresh mackerel... Strings and strings of them in fact... The sharks had an away day so we went looking for common skate again... 2 landed at 174lb & 180lb and one lost...

16/07/2024

Yesterdays best fish was a 155lb common skate with another lost and a couple of 7lb huss mixed in

13/07/2024

Yesterdays 199lb skate and today's 5.5lb lobster

10/07/2024

More photos from mondays' skate antics.. Thanks Steve Stone... And Daryll and his scallop

10/07/2024

So Monday and Tuesday saw the hunt for common skate by Steve Stones' group continue. As previously published, Sunday saw 2 x31lb tope, huss to 12.5lb and a solo spur of 5lb.
Monday(8th) saw flat seas and sunshine and Common skate of: 142,123,188,135 & 123lb plus 2 snapoffs along with huss of 8.5lb, 16.5lb, 12.5lb and other smaller ones
Tuesday (9th)saw horrible conditions with offshore NE winds gusting 37mph and driving rain but a tope of 34lb was first landed and then common skate of 174,117,126 & 185lb
Total skate weight landed : 1,311lb
Daryll landed a scallop!!

07/07/2024

Finally, after a windy week where we only managed to put to sea for 1 day and 2 evenings, today was sunny and calm, common skate were the target species (and we saw none!!) but we caught 18 huss upto 12.5lb with most at the 10lb mark, 1 small spurdogs and 2 tope at 31lb each.
Friday saw nothing of any size offshore but pollack to 6.5lb

04/07/2024

Due to a late cancellation 13/14/15 August have become available for booking... Short trips, longer trips, scenic, photography, nature... Please ring to book(tel 07739231331)

01/07/2024

So with the tidal flow easing and water clarity excellent, hopes were high of a good day on saturday(29th) and we weren't disappointed...... Strings and strings of mackerel and whiting gave us an excess of bait for the day including a huge 18" lance! and a sprinkling of herring. We landed spurs to 18lb,huss to 7lb,2 tope (45lb & 5lb) and a common skate of 182lb(using length x width graph)...
Photos are courtesy of the customers

24/06/2024

Another day at sea yesterday when the seas stayed calm and the wind was light(ish!)... There were sufficient mackerel and whiting for the days fishing but were scattered around in small pockets... We anchored in 160ft water for bigger stuff and caught nothing... Moved inshore and got a couple of huss and a spotted Ray... Pollack ING against the cliff faces was next and produced the seasons best so far at 8.5lb plus others around 4lb

24/06/2024

Big thanks to Gordon at Galloway Signs Ltd for doing a great job on my van

22/06/2024

Another day afloat where bait fish were plentiful and better fish were scarce.. We managed 2 "leopard pattern" huss at the 8lb mark and a decent spur list at boat side... Pollack were apparently not feeding in the weeds but managed to eek out one at 6lb,one at 4.5lb and some others around the 3.5lb mark

21/06/2024

So today(21st) was cancelled due to SW Gales but yesterday and the day previous were productive... Wednesday saw sufficient mackerel for bait, lots of mini whiting plus the other usual suspects caught whilst drift fishing. Down went the anchor and we caught 35+ spurdogs upto 22lb with most 13-15lb plus 3 huss in the 6-8lb bracket. Some pollack to 4lb in the weeds but water was murky. Thursday saw same weather, similar size tides but loads more mackerel, less whiting and loads and loads of herring. We anchor down for 2 huss at 8lb,one spur at 6lb and 1st TOPE OF THE SEASON @ 27lb.
Bookings are still being taken with some weekday dates available but no weekends available until 22nd September
Tel 07739231331

17/06/2024

So, an update on the fish caught since last Wednesday (12th)...
Water clarity was excellent and the fish were scarce managing only 2 mackerel, 2 whiting, 3 dogs and 6 pollack(4.5lb best fish)... Did they know Thursdays storm was coming? Friday was a 2pm sail for 6hrs and we caught a lot of herring, some mackerel, codling, haddock and whiting but it was too lumpy to anchor so we chased the inshore pollack and had +35 pollack with most in the 3-4lb bracket and the best went 8lb...all taken on silver belly and flowing traces. Saturday saw the first of the inshore spurdogs(11lb) and a 7lb thornback and lots more pollack +50 fish upto 5.5lb.. Sunday saw more inshore spurs, upto 12lb, a couple of huss, sufficient mackerel and loads of small whiting for bait as well as codling and haddock upto 2.5lb. Photos are provided by customers.
All WEEKEND daytime(9-5) days are booked up til sunday 21st September but spaces remain available for midweek trips and many/most evenings for 3hrs from 5.30pm.
Please ring to enquire about availability
Tel 07739231331

02/06/2024

So just a 3hr trip today... Water clarity was excellent. We caught sufficient mackerel, codling to 2lb,lots of haddock around the 1lb mark, a couple of ling to 3lb,lotsof whiting with many at 15" long plus a couple of huss... One which took a whiting on the feathers. Thanks to Ryan for the photos

02/06/2024

7 Spaces available on Saturday 8th June for 8hrs sailing 9am....&....
5 spaces available Sunday 9th June for 8hrs sailing 9am...
Please contact me to book
(tel 07739231331)

28/05/2024

Sunday 26th....
Loads of mackerel, huss to 8lb,loads of pollack upto 4lb 12oz,nothing caught out deeper(160ft)
Davy had 11 species to the boat
Lots more lance starting to show

Monday 27th...
Loads of herring upto 12oz,some mackerel, doggies and whiting

Water clarity on both days was excellent

25/05/2024

A good day afloat when the sun shone, the wind blew oof the land and the fish fed... Mackerel were plentiful on all the offshore banks. Mixed in with them were whiting, herring, codling, haddock, lance. At anchor inshore, we found a dozen huss with the 2 best at 10lb and 11lb2oz. The pollack fishing over the inshore kelp produced around 30 fish upto 4.5lb on silver belly strip on flowing traces... Water clarity was excellent

24/05/2024

6 spaces this sunday(26th) for 8hr fishing trip sailing 9am....please text, whatsapp or email me... Messenger not working & O2 phone signal down
(tel 07739231331)

24/05/2024

If anyone has been trying to ring to book.... O2 is down and has been for 3 DAYS!! Please whatsapp, txt or email BUT NOT messenger as that won't open either!
Some spaces as part of mixed boats remain and a couple of dates for sole exclusive use
Cheers Dominic

Address

Stranraer
DG98AN

Website

http://www.optimistcharters.co.uk/

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Videos

Dawn Venture at sea

A short video of the trip back to Portpatrick on Dawn Venture

Rattling iveco

So it's not good news.... With the boat throwing up an engine management fault light and going into limp mode on Saturday, then being towed in by the PP lifeboat, an assessment was required. With the test equipment for my engine being in the channel islands(!). Fault finding was undertaken and vest solution was a duff injector.... After 4 days of waiting on a 24hr express delivery from parcel force, the injector arrived, was fitted and the defect remains. Other tests drew a blank after 4hrs and so we have to wait on the arrival of the TE from Southampton. To that end, all trips in the short term have to be cancelled. A full reassessment will be made once the ECU has been interrogated. Apologies to all concerned parties for the disruption and disappointment caused by this mechanical breakdown